SUMMARY
In this inspiring episode of The Painterly Life, host Shannon Grissom sits down with acclaimed fine art and architectural photographer Marco Zecchin to explore the rich tapestry of his 45-year creative journey. From the early spark of passion ignited by a childhood moment to the profound influence of his Italian heritage and artistic upbringing, Marco shares the experiences that shaped his vision.
Marco reflects on the deep mentorship of Morley Baer, the emotional core of photography, and how being “a client to one’s own creativity” is key to personal and artistic growth. With wisdom on navigating burnout, cultivating patience, and making space for new inspiration, Marco invites listeners into a conversation about the power of presence, relationships, and staying open to beauty in every frame.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Igniting Creativity: The Painterly Life Podcast Introduction
01:18 Marco Zecchin: A Journey Through Photography
02:44 Early Influences: Family and Artistic Roots
05:54 The Spark of Passion: Discovering Photography
08:20 The Influence of Italian Heritage on Art
12:06 Mentorship: Learning from Morley Barrett
15:27 Emotional Engagement in Photography
19:09 Finding Beauty: The Photographer’s Process
22:21 Creativity as the Coin of the Realm
24:45 Understanding Creativity as a Client
27:10 The Art of Patience in Photography
29:46 Emptying the Bowl: A Metaphor for Life
33:10 Asking for a Bigger Bowl
35:12 Transforming Relationships in Photography
37:33 Navigating Burnout and Rediscovering Passion
42:21 Embracing the Creative Journey
ABOUT MARCO
For the last 45 years, Marco Zecchin, has been a fine art and commercial photographer. His father’s architectural career was a great influence in his decision to specialize in architectural and interior design photography.
But it wasn’t until he assisted and was mentored by the renowned fine art and architectural photographer Morley Baer, that the career path Marco chose became a path of living a life informed by his creative efforts.
Integrating his Italian heritage with his American upbringing, personal philosophy, photographic business practices, and parenting of his daughter Zoe.
CONNECT WITH MARCO
Websites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcozecchin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mzecchin/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-zecchin-b353021/
SUPPORT CREATIVITY! Are you inspired by the conversations and stories we share on Painterly Life? If so, we invite you to become a vital part of our journey by contributing to our show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2219255/support
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BOOKS
Get Marco’s Inspiring Book! The Spirit of Northern Italy or Morley Baer’s California Plain: Remembering Barns
TRANSCRIPT
Shannon Grissom (00:05)
Hi, I’m Shannon Grissom. Are you looking to ignite your creativity? Or how about be inspired by a steady stream of muses? Welcome to Painterly Life, the podcast that celebrates those who create, inspire, and innovate. So whether you’re looking to spark your next big idea, reignite your passion, or simply soak in some creative energy,
This is the place for you. Painterly life, where every guest is a new muse, just for you.
Welcome to the Painterly Life podcast. I’m your host, Shannon Grissom. Hey, if you’d like to see more inspiring content, please be sure to like, subscribe, and share. Today’s guest is Marco Zecchin. Marco, wow, we’re gonna look at the journey of creativity through the incredible lens that he has.
A phenomenal, fine art, architectural photographer whose 45 year career blends his Italian heritage, his American roots, and a life shaped by creativity, mentorship, and meaning. Welcome Marco.
Marco Zecchin (01:35)
Thank you. Thank you so much, Shannon. Makes me sound more impressive than I think I am sometimes.
Shannon Grissom (01:43)
Oh
no, you are, are. Okay, so your photography career spans over 40 years. Can you take us back to a moment where, you know, when you were a kid, did you always know this is what you wanted to do? How did that all start?
Marco Zecchin (02:01)
No, not really. mean, my mom and dad were both ⁓ artistic. My father being an architect, but he also drew and designed obviously for his work. And my mother was just a very crafty person, but also a very talented artist, both painting, pastel work, sculpture, you name it, she just got into it. So it was always around us at home. And so
We were always encouraged, my brother and I were always encouraged to include art in our daily activity in some form or other. If not just because they would have paint by numbers hanging around the house or some mosaic project. But it wasn’t until I turned 11 or 12, and we were traveling back and forth every other year to Connecticut, when I was introduced, or we went and visited a gentleman by name of Robin Perry.
in Connecticut. And he was a friend of my mom’s from way back. And he was a photographer. And we went over there. I was fascinated. My father was a photographer of the family. But ⁓ he suggested that we go into the darkroom and he’d show us how that worked. And to be honest with you, when I saw the first image come up in that developing soup, I
The magic was total. It’s a cliche, I know, but I was hooked. And so the entire drive back, the five days in the car driving back to California, I was a nuisance to my mom and dad. Saying, I really want to set up. I want a dark room at home. want to, you know, I’ll use part of my closet. And.
Shannon Grissom (03:42)
I’m sure.
Marco Zecchin (03:54)
You know, I’m in the backseat of this car for five days doing this to them. I’m sure it was just nuts. Anyway, we got back. They did buy me a camera. I got my first Brownie at the time. And then ended up having at Christmas time, getting a gift of a kit, a darkroom kit. And so I spent the next months
putting together this little dark room in my closet in my bedroom. My clothes smelled of developer and fixer for years because of this. ⁓ But I set that up and quickly learned that my allowance at the time was not going to cover all the product or all the print paper and the processing and the film that I needed. ⁓
what wild hair got me out of the house and took me to the local park to photograph the kids there and then offer the parents purchase prints was insane. I look back at it now, thankfully it was a more innocent time back in the early 60’s. But there I was and making a bit of money.
⁓ to help me continue with this ⁓ hobby and this experience of taking photographs and pretty much that was the start and continue from there throughout my life so one form or another some ⁓ moments of respites where I got away from it for a while but i always came back to it one fashion or another
Shannon Grissom (05:39)
Well, you you talked about your parents supporting you in all ways and how were you influenced since your dad was in architecture and photography? How did that influence what you create?
Marco Zecchin (05:54)
Well, as far as the architecture is concerned, because that’s my commercial side is the architecture and interior design work.
He was very passionate about his architecture and about design and architectural design. So all of these trips back and forth to the East Coast, he would design a ⁓ travel plan that would go and see these new buildings that he really wanted to see in person that were being built during that time. So in Chicago, in Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, in Kansas City, ⁓ New York City.
Boston, all over the place, we would go to see these wonderful projects. ⁓ And just by being in front of them and his passion for them, it was infectious. it just became part of how I started seeing buildings. ⁓ And that was how my integration or how he integrated into my life. My mom’s was
My mom had, was always involved with the arts and always, even on the trips, for example, ⁓ she would look up at the clouds that were passing through the sky. mean, we were kids at the time, entertaining us in the car, traveling across country, something needed to be done. ⁓ So she would look at clouds and say, hey, do you see the elephant there? Or do you see the alligator in that one? Or what do you see in that one? And it was an opportunity to get
really creative and allow my brain to look at something and be beyond the obvious. It’s just a cloud. What’s the shapes? What’s the forms with the graphics in it? So inadvertently, that I think informed me from my mother’s side, how to look at things differently, how to see things beyond what’s represented there. ⁓ And to
Yeah, just allow that creativity, allow that opportunity to see things differently ⁓ that were very common and very much an everyday experience.
Shannon Grissom (08:11)
I think allowing is the key there.
There’s having your own vision of what you want to do. And when you can incorporate that with allowing things to come to you, that’s totally magical as well. It is. I was thinking about your, ⁓ well, both your fine art and your architectural photography have this wonderful patina to them. And there’s a timeless quality.
in all of your work. so I’m wondering if that’s influenced by your time in Italy or how does that, how does Italy intertwine with your work?
Marco Zecchin (09:05)
That’s an interesting question. ⁓ Well, my father was an art historian with his degree from the University of Art in Venice and he in Venice, Italy. ⁓ So he brought and we always had at the home ⁓ books on ⁓ the Renaissance and all of the Renaissance painters and such. So at a very
informal and yet life filled with those images and those classic images certainly of the Renaissance. I remember that one instance where my father had said, okay, we’re going to go to Italy, you’re 12, 13 at a time and ⁓ I’ve got a request for you to
choose one piece of art that you’re gonna study and then we’re gonna stand in front of it when we get there and you have to tell me the story.
Why I chose ⁓
⁓ Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise from ⁓ in Florence at the baptistry in Florence, but The Gates were something that caught my attention. And so I ended up studying them. And then I was standing in front of this. My dad says, okay, give me the story.
Shannon Grissom (10:34)
Yeah.
Marco Zecchin (10:36)
And a little crowd started gathering around while this 12 year old was telling the story. The tour guide for the baptistry doors at Gates of Paradise, the doors at the baptistry at Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore there, in Italian as well. ⁓ So it was, you know, I think that type of ⁓ experience certainly influenced me in going into the cathedrals and ⁓
There’s a timelessness to that.
when you integrate, unconsciously integrate history of art and the history of, you’re just filling your head with tons of images of that type of history. Architecturally, my dad always had these architectural magazines around the house, so seeing those classic images from the 60’s, 50’s and 60’s, that certainly influenced me.
and continue to influence me, ⁓ even though I’m taking photographs, excuse me, in color, and those were all in black and white, there’s a graphic quality. There’s this, not just photographic, there’s this graphic quality that ⁓ I look for as I’m going around taking photographs. So timelessness, I think it’s just an influence of the history, my history as far as getting to know art through those historic…
paintings and photographs.
Shannon Grissom (12:09)
I know along the way you had the rare opportunity of being mentored by Morley Baer
And so how did that shape your work?
Marco Zecchin (12:23)
Wow. Well, he was a wonderful, amazing mentor, first off, an amazing photographer, both on the fine art side, as well as the architectural interior design work.
He, in fact, over the years of being with him, I found out that he actually took some of the photographs that my father’s firm ⁓ made. So it was this long ⁓ established, well, his photographs from the 60’s and the 50’s were part of that genre that now reside in this head ⁓ as a library of images.
⁓ But his mentorship was extraordinary to me. ⁓ The biggest thing, there’s many things about his mentorship that just was extraordinary and unique to him. ⁓ And the main one was that he saw a talent in me.
I was 30 years of age when I started being his assistant. So I’d had a few years of being a photographer, but,
He transformed this lump that I was, a technical lump, into something that was more thoughtful. Because he provided me with the permission to approach my work from a place of feeling or of emotion, of passion, that transcended the technical, that transcended the craft. And up to that point, I had no one.
that really allowed me or gave me permission to even explore that component. ⁓ And so from that point forward, it’s been a really interesting ⁓ change for me to recognizing the feelings that I have for something.
and then photographing it and imbuing or seeing how imbued it would get with the feelings that I had. ⁓ And he was a master at this because he was, his grandfather would say, you know, I don’t care what the heck you do, just do it with feeling. And so he carried that message forward in his mentorship, but also in the classes that he taught.
do things mit feeling was his terminology for it. ⁓ But I would watch him photograph. He would take his camera on, ⁓ big old 8×10 camera on a big wooden tripod and put it on his shoulder and he would walk.
and look for a subject matter. He would be just wandering and he would sway back and forth, move back and, side to side, back and forth. And the vibration, he used the camera and the tripod like a dousing rod. I mean, it would just aim him into and concentrate the feeling of the image until he put the tripod down and would very often not move it from that spot.
he wouldn’t place it until he had concentrated the feelings that he’d had about that subject matter to such an extent that it made no, it was clear to the point of actually placing the tripod exactly where he wanted and not moving it from that point on. And then just the technical component came to it after that. But to that point, it was entirely a feeling. And to watch him find
and condense that feeling or concentrate that feeling to the point where he would set the camera down was an opportunity that I still, I’ve actually got it the way it’s how I worked these days is I don’t set the camera down until I see the image and I’m walking back and forth and I’m doing that almost a mantra.
⁓ or a way of engaging my feelings through this movement of my own body to where the oscillation becomes so tight that boom, okay, I’m here. I just found this spot for myself.
Shannon Grissom (17:08)
Oh, I totally get that. And it’s interesting, I’ve for a long time used my body as a pendulum when trying to decide what to do. But I never took it, ooh, I’m excited. I never took it to that level with my painting. Every once in a while I’ll say, okay, you know, I have several works in progress in the studio. What do I work on today? And there’s…
there’s a logical side of me that says you need to get this done for whatever commission you’re working on. And the other’s like, what are you feeling, Shannon? Where are you going with that today? So sometimes when I’m struggling with that, I will use my body as a pendulum for that. I mean, I use it for all kinds of other things, but I never thought about doing that before I started. So I think you’ve already given me some tools to shift and just really embrace that.
emotional side before I ever start creating and how powerful that is. Thank you.
Marco Zecchin (18:09)
You’re welcome. My pleasure. Well, I’m sure that you do it already though, Shannon. And the fact is that I recognize when I go so part of my commercial side, I go in on a scout a project I go in beforehand with the architect or with the contract or the contractor, whoever I’m working with. And I want to find out about the project. I want to hear the story of that project. So I, but I walk into these spaces, and I start, honestly,
It’s ridiculous, but this is what I do. I start bouncing in my own shoes. I feel the energy, the tension or the excitement of being in this new environment. And one of the things that Morley said to me that influences me to this day as well is that you’ve got to love, you’ve got to find something to love in the project that you’re photographing. If you don’t,
find that, you’re not going to find its own beauty. So you’ve got, you need to find that passion, ⁓ that love, really is what he said, find that love so that the beauty starts coming to you. So you start seeing that beauty. For me, it’s this excitement, this energy that makes me actually bounce in my shoes as I’m coming in.
And I’ll walk around a corner and go, wow, ⁓ wow. look at that. I mean, I feel absolutely an idiot when I’m doing this, but my clients have learned that just let him do his thing. And yes, I do sound like an idiot at times, but it’s my process and it’s my authentic relationship, my initial relationship with that surrounding that I now really get the kick out of. And then I really enjoy exploring.
Shannon Grissom (19:49)
Ha ha ha.
Marco Zecchin (20:09)
while I’m scouting and use it to direct my camera in hand because I’m always taking photographs of these things as a reminder of what I would like to go and photograph afterwards. ⁓ So I use it as a guidance ⁓ to the things that I’m really passionate about or I find very interesting in the sense of, ⁓ there’s something really great here. It is a, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
moment. ⁓ But I use that. I use that that ⁓ gosh, what is primal ⁓ approach to it. ⁓ Because it has so little. ⁓ I mean, I’m acting like an idiot in front of these people, and I don’t care. ⁓ But because that’s, that’s what’s authentic to me. And in that authenticity, you find really amazing.
viewpoints and amazing opportunities because you’re open. You’re absolutely open to whatever the environment has to offer to you.
that’s become a process. It’s my own personal process coming from morally using the tripod as his guide. But it’s just feelings and really enjoying and accessing those. ⁓ And it’s the vehicle into your own creativity, at least for me.
May I just take another side story? So I was a young guy working with Morley. And I remember we were driving up to an assignment up in the day today, I believe. And he was always doing his fine artwork. First thing in the morning, we’d be driving someplace, he’d see something and he would jump out of the car, set up his camera, take a photograph. And then we’d go to the assignment. And after the assignment, if he still had some energy and bind you, this man was already in his seventies when I was working with him.
Shannon Grissom (21:53)
Yeah.
Marco Zecchin (22:21)
And he would jump out of the car, set up that 8×10, and take some more, maybe one or two more photographs as we were driving back to wherever we were staying or even coming back home. Constantly taking photographs. And it was mishmash of commercial and the fine art and the commercial and then the fine art. So it was constantly going back and forth between that. And then I read somewhere or heard something about
⁓ if you’re going to be a true artist, you shouldn’t be doing any commercial work because it’ll influence your artwork. And I asked him about it. I said, how do you do that? How do you separate it? And how do you separate these two halves? Because you seem to do it all the time. He says, I don’t. I don’t. ⁓ His comment was, creativity is the coin of the realm for us as artists.
Shannon Grissom (23:07)
Yes.
Marco Zecchin (23:19)
Our tapping into our creativity is our art form. Whatever we do, the specific art form isn’t what we do. It’s our ability to tap into our creativity, which everybody can do, mind you. But we just happen to engage in that much more readily. So that being the coin of the realm, working for a client who’s paying me
to tap into my creativity to photograph or create something in their ⁓ image or in their stead ⁓ is a way for me to tap into my creativity again, differently, but tapping into my creativity. And then he would smile and he sat there and he said to me and he goes, and you know, some clients
were really good. They would give me the information, then they would let me go and do my thing. They trusted me in their vision and I would create whatever it is they wanted. Then I had other clients who were not as good a client and were trying to make me a tool for their vision as opposed to allowing my vision to be what they would get.
And I would see how my creativity worked in those two very distinctive environments. But it also taught me, because if I’m doing my own personal work, he said, I am a client of my own creativity at that point. So it taught me how to be a better client to myself, to my own creativity. Because I found, I saw how
certain people were really good about it and some people were not as good about it. So the experience informed him on how to be the client to his own creativity. So his fine artwork became a way of him recognizing that, ⁓ my coin around is my creativity. I’m asking as myself, I am the client to my creativity.
to do something here, make something or to create something. ⁓ so the information that he got from that experience was one, how to tap into his own creativity better and get paid for it. And two, how to be a better client of his own creativity. So then when he asked upon it, he knew how to do it so that he would respond and be the best creator of that or that.
particular client, be it himself. So yeah, that was that was a huge lesson to learn from him. As far as what creativity really meant to him, and how he engaged it. But then there was this technical component to it as well. But it was more philosophical than technical. And it started early on. We had, when I first started working for him, we were
going all over the place and doing photographs, interiors, exteriors, you name it. Just one day we were up in Livermore, and we’re photographing an exterior of a building. And that building, the contractor of the client was able to make sure that the parking lot was entirely empty of cars for us. So then we could take just the photographs of the building and not have to deal with the cars. So we arrived.
parking lot’s absolutely empty. He already knew where he needed to place the camera. He was setting it up. I’m there bringing stuff to him and he was setting up the shot and this delivery truck pulls up in front of the building. And I am as, as I was ready to go, go and confront the guy, get him out of the way and Morley put his hand on my shoulder and he says, hang on a second, hang on. I’m not ready.
I still have the things that I need to get done here before we take the photograph. So I need to take care of these things and then we’ll see whether or not it’s time for you to go and tell him to move the truck. And I’m sitting there champing at the bit, honestly, going, ⁓ come on, I really need to get this out of the way for you. And he was there and he was at his own pace, didn’t rush it, didn’t do it slower, didn’t do it faster.
At his own pace, set up the camera, focused it, got the exposure, aperture and shutter speed, put the film into the camera, pulled the dark slide, covered it up so that it was all lightproof. And was standing, and as he pulled up the shutter release of the camera, the guy runs out of the business, climbs into the truck, drives away. As soon as he’s out of the way, click. It goes.
This happened time and time again.
I was flummoxed by this, first off, and then fascinated by this almost magical capability that he had to allow the image to create itself in front of the camera, if you will, by his choosing of that location and then letting it evolve and become
but also recognizing that he needed to get his stuff done first before the image was ready. Well, this got me thinking about a whole lot of things, not just photographically, but life-wise. it became a life philosophy, if you will, or a viewpoint that to this day continues to inform me.
Because if something is not working well, or is not proceeding like you would like it to be,
I have things that I need to get done. I need to finish those things before that image or that thing arrives and it’s full-born.
If I can, I’ll share just this one metaphor. And that is, I read someplace that the Buddhists use a begging bowl that they go around to eat to get food. They go around and ask for alms for the begging bowl. And they will have it filled with food, and then they would eat that, and then the bowl would be empty. But the master would always say, empty the bowl first before you go and ask for more food.
became a really interesting concept for me. said, empty the bowl. How do I empty the bowl? If it’s not for food, how do I empty the bowl photographically or business wise? How do I make that happen? How do I empty myself so I’m available to whatever’s coming towards me and I’m open to whatever’s coming towards me? Like Morley was saying, look, I have to finish prepping the camera. He was emptying his bowl.
that he had it available. So I was sitting there going, God, this becomes really an interesting onset, both photographically, but also in life.
So I started experimenting with this. And I went, OK, I want more projects, more business. I have to empty the bowl. So I have a project. How do I empty the bowl? I empty the bowl by taking the photographs, processing them, getting them ready for delivery, invoicing it, and getting it to my client. Now the bowl is empty.
And I said early on, said, let’s just observe. How long does it take for that bowl to be full again or get ⁓ some more food in there, if you will? How long will it take for me to have another project in there? And usually it was like a day, maybe two at the very most. It would build. And I’m just observing. I’m not making any kind of judgment on it. It was just observation. And I giggle. Honestly, I’m going, OK, it’s empty.
Shannon Grissom (32:14)
Thank you. ⁓
Marco Zecchin (32:14)
It’s Ed.
and observe and it would fill and I’d chuckle. I’d start really giggling and enjoy it. Say thank you, know, find my gratitude in it. And then it would be a day the next time and then it would be a half day. Then it would be hours before I got a phone call saying, hey, I got a project for you, Marco. Let’s get you on the calendar.
And that’s how I’ve proceeded from Morley’s letting, know, getting, just doing what you have to do, to getting the final product out there. That became my mantra. That became my approach to my photography.
So in 2013, I knew this was quite a few years, and this practice became very, very fun and I was enjoying it and it was very observable. It also became a two-way street in that there would be times when something wouldn’t come to me and I go, ooh, I guess that bowl isn’t empty yet. I need to figure out what it is I need to pull out of that. So it became a discussion with the universe, if you will, that was two-way street.
But in 2013, I sat there and I’m like, this has been really fun. Thank you so much. I’m so grateful. Hey, is there any chance of getting a bigger bowl?
think I’m ready for it. You know, I think I can handle it.
And in March of 2014, that bigger bowl arrived in the form of a huge client that has been a major source of my income these last 12 years, that completely informs me that if you want, you can ask for a bigger bowl You can ask for
for all of that and if you’re ready for it, it’ll arrive. It’s making it a bit more complicated to make sure that it’s empty, but the bigger bowl can also hold more food in it, you have more things in it. So I have now, as opposed to just a singular project coming in, I’ve got multiple projects coming in and being held in that bowl. But I’m still emptying it out as often and as quickly as I can.
Shannon Grissom (35:02)
I’m
Marco Zecchin (35:03)
So it’s available for more. And from Morley to today.
his influence has been extraordinary and a cornerstone, let’s do that one experience to get to where I am today with regard to work in general or photographic work in general, but also for my life. Okay. There’s a problem in my life. What am I holding on to? Is there, you know, in the bowl of my life bowl, what’s, what do I need to pay attention to in here?
What do I need to take care of so it’s out of here? So it’s open for the energies and open for the blessings that could come and fill it. ⁓
So yes, it’s photography, but through his tutelage, through Morley’s tutelage, it’s become a life path and a life affirming ⁓ philosophy that started out as an example of taking a photograph and now it forms my life in a much more full and authentic fashion.
Shannon Grissom (36:20)
Oh, it’s just wonderful that you shared that. I see that his influence has tremendously impacted your life. And what’s wonderful is that by you sharing all of this, it’s like ripples in a pond. I think that a lot of people, myself included, start thinking about things in other ways. And I do.
or I’m feeling this common thread of tuning in, of allowing and.
You pay attention to your life.
And that has made all the difference. And I think about my own self where I can be dating myself, kind of Mr. Magooish sometimes. I go back and forth between tuning in and zoning out. I don’t need drugs. I do this all by myself. So I am very inspired by your share of your journey. Do you ever get stuck? you ever…
have a little trouble adjusting to all of this. Okay.
Marco Zecchin (37:36)
Yeah.
No, that’s part of the creative process in taking a philosophy and then including it into your life. I’ll give you an example. 10 years in my career, I was 40.
I recognized that I was burning out. I still love photography. I still love taking photographs for people. I love taking photographs for myself. Excuse me. But something had gotten in the way. And I couldn’t put my finger on it.
because I was burning out. wasn’t as effusive. I wasn’t as energetically aligned with what was going on in my life at the time.
And I realized I changed my focus. And the focus was…
to making money as opposed to taking the photographs, or even creating a relationship with my clients. ⁓ I’ve learned that doing that, at least for me, ⁓ is a soulless pursuit.
that it took me a while. It took me six to eight months of, why am I so uncomfortable here? Why am I not as effective as I used to be? Why am I tired at the end of the day? Why is it I’m dragging my butt out of bed in the morning as opposed to jumping out of bed?
And it wasn’t an aha moment at that point. It was just this whole thing going, God, I really enjoy working with so and so. We just have such a great time together. He’s such a great client and a good friend. ⁓ And then little by little, I recognized that, ⁓ you really are social animal. You really enjoy having friendships that you’ve got. You’re working with somebody that you really
respect and trust and that utilizes your creativity in a way that is more authentic to you Marco. ⁓ I think I to change my perspective away from the money and look at the creation of these relationships, these wonderful relationships and have that personal touch with these individuals recognizing
they’re your clients still, but you have that personal relationship. I told their families, I know their children have done this or their spouses have done that. And it becomes this wonderful conversation ⁓ between friends. And we all want to work with friends. We love being around people who are friends. ⁓ And this went along with
selling art as well. patrons wish to have a personal relationship with the artists that they collect. ⁓ They they want to be able to tell the story. ⁓ I had spent so much time with Shannon or with Marco and, and ⁓ we had this delightful time chatting over, you know, this particular piece of artwork and that they that they created. ⁓
So permeated that this whole relationship concept permeated everything at that point. And I realized I’m a social animal ⁓ and beating that part of me eliminated the burnout. It vanished literally overnight when I finally would have that aha moment saying, ⁓ here we are. I’m becoming, I’m
paying attention to the friendship quality of my clients and of my patrons. And I’m feeling better. I’m feeling lighter. I’m feeling getting out of bed, jumping out of bed in the morning. I’m not as exhausted at the end of the day. can, yeah, I can put in these long hours and not worry about it or still have energy at the end of the day for myself. It was transformative and has
You know, thankfully I learned it early on, years in. In the last 30 years, it’s ⁓ been a joy because that’s my go-to place. Yeah, I can get tired. And what I would pass on to somebody is to look if you really love to do something, if you’re really in love with what you’re doing, whatever it happens to be, and you get burned out, see what pollutant there is.
that is preventing you from continuing as opposed to being burnt, being burnt out on it. ⁓ If it’s something you’re really passionate about, it’s an external that’s polluting your energy. ⁓ Take the challenge, go and find what that pollution is, and then eliminate it as best you can. Or embrace it, is the other side of that. Just embrace it.
and go, ⁓ okay, so you’re here, you’re back again.
Shannon Grissom (43:26)
And…
Marco Zecchin (43:28)
Welcome, what do you have to tell me? Listen to what it’s saying to you. Pay attention, give it its due. ⁓ And then whatever energy it held back from you is now released back into you. So it’s… ⁓
it’s the philosophy goes throughout or if you start looking at life with with philosophical eyes, you start learning about the things that encourage you and embrace that you can embrace that you can that you can nurture from within you. And it’s this striking, very clear mirror. Over time, you start cleaning your own mirror. ⁓ And
and the reflection becomes more authentic and much richer. And you can move forward with a lot more alacrity and a lot more ease and comfort. And all from simply, for me, taking a photograph and being in a dark room and being absolutely ⁓ taken by the magic of this piece of art going up in this liquid. ⁓
It was, it is a cliche, completely Shannon. But I’ve lived it. I have to say I’ve lived it.
Shannon Grissom (44:57)
Well, you definitely have embraced the magic in all that you create and look for it. And that’s wonderful. That’s just wonderful. I think about my own careers and my own modes of creativity over the years. And I like what you say about being your own client.
And so tuning into that, it’s like adjusting the dial on the radio stations. Like, okay, there’s too much static. Stop, tune in. What’s really going on? Even if I have a headache or something, I will do a meditation and I will ask, what are you trying to tell me? What am I not seeing? Because obviously you want me to stop and pay attention to you.
Marco Zecchin (45:52)
Right, exactly. Exactly.
Shannon Grissom (45:54)
And ⁓ so I am conscious of that and do that. think the wonderful thing about this podcast was this was I was getting tired and fried and burned out and I started this podcast and I was like, wow, this this invigorates me and it and it’s interesting what you say about relationships because that’s what all of this is. ⁓ So yeah, it’s a wonderful thing. And somebody had asked me when I said I was starting the podcast, I said, Well, how are going to make any money?
And you know what, with this particular creative endeavor, that was not my focus. My focus was for me to do something positive, to share other people’s creations and stories. And so it was just like hugging people, right? It was just like sharing the love. And so it’s growing because I’m sharing the love and not focused on, okay, how am I going to monetize this? And did I do that yesterday? And no. So yeah.
Very good point. Thank you, Marco. ⁓
How can people find out more about you? Where can they find you online?
Marco Zecchin (47:04)
Well, online, on the commercial side, ⁓ my company name is Image Center. So image-center.com is the website. On my fine arts side, it’s marcozecchin.com Directly coming straight to me. But on the various networks, just look me up. I’m on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, ⁓ and… ⁓
just look at Marco Zecchin and you’ll find me. There’s another Marco Zecchin, but he’s a European professor. think people will know that that’s not me. But ⁓ yeah, that’s how people can stay on top of what I do. Instagram, I use Instagram as my little sounding board for new ideas.
Shannon Grissom (47:55)
good to know. I will put all the links in the show notes so that people can readily find you. Wow, thanks for being here. I think we’re gonna have to have you on the show again. ⁓
Marco Zecchin (48:07)
It would be my pleasure. I’d be less nervous probably. ⁓
Shannon Grissom (48:12)
Well, that’s a wrap for today. Thank you for being here, Marco. And you’re welcome. And if you are enjoying this content, please help me create more like, subscribe and share. We’ll see you next time.
Marco Zecchin (48:18)
Thank you Shannon, much appreciated.
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